1967 Cleveland Browns season

The 1967 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 18th season with the National Football League. The Browns were back in the playoffs after a one-year absence. They finished 9–5, the same as in 1966, but this time, it was good enough for them to get in as they won the Century Division championship in the first year of play after the NFL split the Eastern and Western conferences into two divisions each. The division race was not close, as the Browns finished two games ahead of the runner-up New York Giants (7–7), their old arch rival in the 1950s and early 1960s.

1967 Cleveland Browns season
Head coachBlanton Collier
Home fieldCleveland Stadium
Local radioWERE
Results
Record9–5
Division place1st NFL Century
Playoff finishLost Eastern Conference Championship Game (at Cowboys) 14-52
Lost NFL Playoff Bowl (vs. Rams) 6-30

Running Back Leroy Kelly went over 1,000 yards rushing for the second straight time, getting 1,205 to go along with 11 touchdowns, while Ernie Green, now out of the shadow of Jim Brown, went over 700 yards for the second year in a row, getting 710. Quarterback Frank Ryan, the architect of the 27–0 1964 NFL title game victory over the Baltimore Colts, was in his last full season as a starter. He had 20 TD passes and 16 interceptions. But Ryan, with his body, especially his shoulder, beat up, gave way to Bill Nelsen early the next year.

The 52–14 playoff loss to Dallas in the Eastern Conference title contest caused Browns head coach Blanton Collier to re-shape his team at other positions as well, as new players were brought in to replace some of the fading stars who had carried the club for years. For instance, this was the last season for Hall of Fame place-kicker Lou Groza, who retired for the second time – this time for good – after making 11 of 23 field-goal tries. Groza, the last member of the original Browns from the team's inception in 1946, would retire after 21 seasons, followed the next season by another kicker, Don Cockroft.

Offseason

NFL Draft

The following were selected in the 1967 NFL Draft.

RoundOverallPlayerPositionSchool/Club Team
118Bob MathesonLinebackerDuke
246Larry ConjarRunning BackNotre Dame
355Don CockroftKickerAdams State
372Eppie BarneyFlankerIowa State
483Carl WardDefensive BackMichigan
498Joe TaffoniTackleTennessee-Martin
6152John DemarieGuardLSU
7177Bill HouseTackleYoungstown State
8205Bill DevrowDefensive BackSouthern Mississippi
9230Cecil DowdyLinebackerAlabama
10255Jim CopelandCenterVirginia
11282Bill SabatinoDefensive TackleColorado
12308Charlie FowlerGuardHouston
13333Billy AndrewsLinebackerSoutheastern Louisiana
14360Floyd RogersTackleClemson
15386Dennis WilliamsonDefensive BackWisconsin-Whitewater
16411Don WilliamsEndAkron
17439Ben DavisDefensive BackDefiance

[1]

Exhibition schedule
Week Date Opponent Result Attendance
1 August 5, 1967 vs. Philadelphia Eagles at Canton L 13-28
17,500
2 August 13, 1967 at San Francisco 49ers L 14-42
27,482
3 August 19, 1967 at Los Angeles Rams L 17-24
36,942
4 August 25, 1967 at Atlanta Falcons L 31-34
52,240
5 September 2, 1967 Green Bay Packers L 21–30
84,236
6 September 10, 1967 at Minnesota Vikings W 42–14
40,012

There was a doubleheader on September 2, 1967 Falcons vs Vikings and Packers vs Browns.

Regular season

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Result Attendance
1 September 17, 1967 Dallas Cowboys L 14-21
81,039
2 September 24, 1967 at Detroit Lions L 14-31
57,383
3 October 1, 1967 at New Orleans Saints W 42–7
77,045
4 October 7, 1967 Pittsburgh Steelers W 21–10
82,949
5 October 15, 1967 St. Louis Cardinals W 20–16
77,813
6 October 22, 1967 Chicago Bears W 24–0
83,183
7 October 29, 1967 at New York Giants L 34-38
62,903
8 November 5, 1967 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 34–14
47,131
9 November 12, 1967 at Green Bay Packers L 7-55
50,074
10 November 19, 1967 Minnesota Vikings W 14–10
68,431
11 November 26, 1967 Washington Redskins W 42–37
72,798
12 December 3, 1967 New York Giants W 24–14
78,594
13 December 10, 1967 at St. Louis Cardinals W 20–16
47,782
14 December 17, 1967 at Philadelphia Eagles L 24-28
60,658

Game summaries

Week 13

The Browns clinch their first Century Division title with a 20-16 victory at St. Louis. One touchdown comes on an 18-yard interception return by linebacker Jim Houston and the game ends when St. Louis tight end Jackie Smith catches a 41-yard pass and is dragged down at the Cleveland 18 yard line.

Week 14
1 234Total
Browns 7 3014 24
• Eagles 0 7714 28

Playoffs
Week Date Opponent Result Attendance
Eastern Conference Championship December 24, 1967 at Dallas Cowboys L 14-52
70,786
Playoff Bowl January 7, 1968 N Los Angeles Rams L 6-30
37,102

Standings
NFL Century
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Cleveland Browns 9 5 0 .643 5–1 7–3 334 297 L1
New York Giants 7 7 0 .500 5–1 7–3 369 379 W1
St. Louis Cardinals 6 7 1 .462 1–4–1 4–5–1 333 356 L2
Pittsburgh Steelers 4 9 1 .308 0–5–1 1–8–1 281 320 W1

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.

Personnel

Roster
1967 Cleveland Browns roster
Quarterbacks

Running Backs

Wide Receivers

Tight Ends

 Offensive Linemen

Defensive Linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive Backs

Special Teams

Rookies in italics

[2]

Staff/Coaches
1967 Cleveland Browns staff
Front Office

Coaching Staff

Offensive Coaches

   Defensive Coaches

Strength & Conditioning

  • Athletic Trainer - Leo Murphy
  • Equipment Manager - Morris Kono

[3]

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References
  1. "1967 NFL Draft Listing - Pro-Football-Reference.com".
  2. "1967 Cleveland Browns Starters, Roster, & Players - Pro-Football-Reference.com".
  3. https://www.profootballarchives.com/1967nflcle.html
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